New Civilian Cheekiness or back to Old Patterns? Cyril Almeida Case and Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan

Preview

PDF, English Download (239kB) | Terms of use Download (239kB)

Abstract

Earlier this month, the Pakistani journalist Cyril Almeida of reputed English daily Dawn, well-known to be an outspoken and critical voice, published an article in which he indicates a new confrontation between the civilian government and the country’s powerful armed forces and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan. His piece refers to a meeting between civilian and army leadership on October 3rd, in which the “government bluntly warned military chiefs Pakistan faced isolation unless it acted against homegrown militancy”. Concretely, Almeida was stating that top government officials were complaining that the army and the ISI are not doing enough to address the international demands in fighting terror groups, especially those focusing on cross-border activities.